Prostitution an offence: Police

By JIMMY KALEBE
PROSTITUTION is an offence in this country and if it is reported, police will attend to it and arrest and charge those involved, says a police officer.
Lae Met Supt Chris Kunyanban, however, said people also had rights and there maybe factors involved that had forced them into prostitution.
“If there is a case of prostitution reported to police or intelligence picked up, then police will arrest those involved and deal with them according to the law,” he said.
Asked about some sex workers facing violence from their customers, Chief Supt Kunyanban said it was up to the victims to come forward and report the matter.
“The problem behind victims’ reluctance to come forward to report such incidents to police is that those sex workers are afraid of being charged,” he said.
“This is for the simple reason that they know that the activity is illegal in this country. That is the time when they do not come forward to report violent acts by their customers.”
Chief Supt Kunyanban said more often than not sex workers would not approach police for fear of arrest and suffer in silence.